


Sporty Secrets

by Steph2265



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-23 20:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10726398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steph2265/pseuds/Steph2265
Summary: Politics. Smut. Ali is the Governor's daughter. Ashlyn plays football. Kelley O'Hara is involved





	1. Chapter 1

Ali wasn't the kind of girl who minded being the center of attention. Not that she sought it out, mostly because she didn't have to. There was always something her father was doing that made people flock to her, want to be around her. Tonight he was announcing his run for a second term as Governor. 

A scandal involving her father and someone else had just rocked his last term, so Ali wasn't excited about the prospect that there would be a never ending parade of media attention, or, at least, four more years of it. Because now it seemed like every outlet smelled blood in the water. It didn't matter if the media outlet was left or right, everyone seemed primed to take a chunk out of her and her family.

What had happened was something that she tried not to think about, because in all reality, it didn't really affect her. And the pain it was causing the people she loved was mostly due to their own hubris, something she had no control over. What had had happened was that her father had been caught with a mistress. It wasn't supposed to be such a big deal, but then the opposing faction in the state senate pushed for a probe of what had happened.

Her father, against all better judgment, had decided to take a woman into his official room of government business, called the Rectangular Office, and have the young woman preform oral sex on him under the desk. Of course, her father had outright admitted to what he'd done when confronted. Not only had he been upfront about it, he'd been very open that he wasn't going to be shy. Her father had gone on and on, during interviews on public television, about how it hadn't been about some kind of sex addiction esque need to get it off, it had been validating himself sexually as an older man, and also feeling the pleasure that he knew an eager woman would give him.

Her father hadn't gone so far as to say that he wasn't getting any at home, but that was the impression most people got from listening to him speak. Soon, jokes about her father and mother's relationship were circulating social media. There wasn't much that Ali could do to make it stop. She was only one person, and didn't even have a social media account to speak of. That was one lesson she'd learned on in college, that she didn't want to be constantly watched on the internet. 

Because she knew she wouldn't be able to keep other people from watching her every move, she just removed herself from the situation. As she looked around the room, she saw Ashlyn, one of the football teams running backs who was making a name for herself playing on an all male team as the only female. Ashlyn had a reputation as the kind of lesbian who loved straight girls, or girls who were bi.

Ali didn't have any idea if Ashlyn thought she was cute or not, but figured now was the perfect time to find out. It would be a good way to entertain herself while time passed at a snails pace, her father moving about the room and shaking peoples' hands, as confident here as Bill Clinton in Harlem. Chelsea wondered when people were going to wake up, and people would figure out what a charlatan her father really was. It was hard for her to understand, sometimes, why people put such a great amount of faith in her father when he was such an obvious politician. 

That was something her father was always pretty clear about with everyone, the way that he was just a scumbag in a suit. And, although most people put off accepting the reality and instead deluded themselves into thinking he was joking, her father would talk about how he didn't have loyalty to anyone, how he was only ever out to help himself and any other course of action was one he considered to be one born of weakness. Her father was the kind of sociopath who hid it in plain sight, and the people he surrounded himself were the kind who validated him. There weren't any people his father let hang around who were going to call him out on any of his bullshit. They were only going to help perpetuate it. The moment where someone brought critical thought into play would never come, no matter how much Ali wanted to will lit into existence. When Ali got to Ashlyn, she knew she would have a good talk with the young, semi famous woman, about it.

“Hey,” Ali said. “Did you hear about my mom and dad's sex life, recently? I mean, it's all over the tabloids, I don't know how you couldn't know.”

Ashlyn threw her head back and laughed, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous light that Ali could spark in other people when she was particular disrespectful to her elders.

“You know,” Ashlyn said. “I couldn't help but see that. I know it's probably very hard on you, and I don't mean at all to make fun of your suffering. I just know that once this kind of mean spirited stuff really gets worked to a fervor when it comes to politics. People forget that other people have feelings to, you know?”

“Boy do I ever,” Ali said. “You know how bad it gets, though, for sure.”

When Ashlyn had gone out for the football team, it had caused huge waves in the community. People weren't comfortable with the idea that someone could buck all of the trends and join an all male football team instead of going out for cheer leading. The couches had accepted it, though, and not only that, a few of them had really pushed Ashlyn not to back out once she had started.

“I was lucky to have so much support, though,” Ashlyn said. “Something that I'm not sure you have, to be honest. I know you have friends, but where are they now? And I know that you're a strong person who doesn't need her hand held, but at the same time, when I went through my shit I never forgot how much it had meant to me that the rest of the football community had rallied around me and my struggle. But you don't have anything like that.”

Ali didn't know what to say. Ashlyn had a good point. It would be very nice to have some kind of support center. But all the support that Ali had at the given moment was the kind she mustered up out of her gut. People didn't seem to empathize with her plight, was all. Not that Ali expected them. She was, after all, wildly rich in most peoples' estimations. She didn't need reminded how some people would allow that fact to keep them from ever seeing her as another human being. It wasn't fare, and she knew it, how the world treated her sometimes. 

“How are you these days, Ashlyn? You seem to be doing well,” Ali said. “I know you went through some shit before, but have things stabilized recently?” 

“More or less,” Ashlyn said. “It's not like everything just blew over, but now it feels like things are starting to move forward. I'm not trying to dwell in the past, or anything like that. There isn't much I can do but press onward. I know there are a lot of people who would like to see me fail, but that isn't going to happen because I'm determined.”

Ali looked at Ashlyn while she was talking. Ashlyn was well built, with broad shoulders and a chin that looked chiseled from granite. Ali, in comparison, looked even more feminine than she usually did when she stood by Ashlyn. Ali was the kind of girl who rocked her hourglass figure with no remorse, wearing things that made her seem even more buxom than she really was. She liked the attention she got from men, truth be told, and she also liked the way that people thought of her as a kind of sex object, even if it did get on her nerves sometimes. She was a complex, multifaceted human being who didn't mind if it made some people uncomfortable if she was comfortable with herself.

“How about yourself? You're amidst the fire right now,” Ashlyn said. “How are you fairing out there on the turbulent sea of public opinion? I know there were more than just a few times when I thought things were overwhelming, but I didn't have anyone to talk to. I just hope that you know that there are people that care about you, and I mean really do care about you, so you don't have to be alone through all of this. So please, if you ever need someone to talk to, or a listening ear, just call me. All right?”

Ali nodded and reached out to squeeze Ashlyn's hand. It felt good to see Ashlyn feel the spark jolt between them when they made contact. They were both so attracted to each other it was crazy, that much was apparent to anyone close by. But were they going to do anything about it? Ali didn't know, but she didn't think so, and she wanted Ashlyn to know that if she wanted to, Ali was down. Ali was surprised when Ashlyn reached back across the gulf between them to grasp her hand once again, and this time pull her after.

As they left the gathering, hand in hand, Ali looked around to see if there was anyone around who would observe their departure who might put it in a tabloid or something of that nature. There were many things that Ali didn't mind, but having her face all of the front of some mudslinging gossip magazine wasn't one of them. She wanted to distance herself from them as much as possible. The tabloids had people she couldn't see, Ali was sure, but they didn't let that take the spring out of their step as they made their way to Ashlyn's 2017 Army green Jeep Wrangler. There was something about reaching out her stride on the way to be romantic with someone that really made Ali smile, and she could see her beaming glow reflected back at her from Ashlyn.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter

Ali always felt so acomplished when someone decided to take her home. There was just something about it, hard to put her finger on, that made her wonder how much she could fall for Ashlyn. This would be the first time Ali had ever been with a woman, and while she was nervous, her excitement overshadowed all of that.

As Ashlyn switched on the ignition and the engine of her truck roared to life Ali felt a thrill of danger race through her. It really was something else that Ashlyn was courting her so outright. Although all of this could be construed as just girls being friends to each other, they both knew what was really going on. Neither of them had any kind of illusion about different pretenses. And that was one of the things that made it outright racy. 

Ali didn't realize just how racy things could become, though. Instead of going to Ashlyn's house, they drove down some country back roads to find some privacy. 

“You know how it is in a college town,” Ashlyn said. “You end up spending so much time in the city that you forget completely that there might be a country for people to go out and explore.”

Ali felt the truck's motor shift as Ashlyn moved the shifter between them. She was so masculine in many of her mannerisms, but in others she retained her femininity. That's what Ali liked about Ashlyn most, that there wasn't an easy way to classify what she was or wasn't, Ali didn't want the classifications, and she thought it was sexy how Ashlyn didn't want them either. They didn't help her any, the little pigeonholes or the people who used them. 

“I'm glad were headed out into the woods,” Ali said. “I think it's nice out there. The way everything just hums along with life an doesn't make a fuss at all. That's not something that's easy to find. Most of the time life has to be loud and obnoxious, but not with the rural areas.” 

Ashlyn nodded. Ali knew that Ashlyn was one of those people who loved nature but, like nature itself, wasn't loud about it. There was plenty of time for people who got to know Ashlyn to realize that she really did loves trees and grass in a way that many people considered to be a little bit hippie dippy. There was always going to be something that people found to criticize, though, Ali knew. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

Ali was sure that somehow the way that Ashlyn was accelerating into the curves would get back to her father. And whatever they did when they stopped was going to get back to her father. The whole entire episode would. That was just the way it went, it felt like, but out here in the backwoods it didn't seem like that big of a deal.

So Ashlyn gunned the car forward, making sure to look especially brave and determined when it seemed like there was a chance that they'd both end up flipping with the car. But they never did. There were a few times when Ashlyn flew over hills so fast that their wheels spun the gravel out from underneath their tires like a snow blower. 

For the longest time Ali wasn't sure where Ashlyn was taking them, and then it became clear. The lighthouse on the horizon, where the state touched the coast, but just barely. That was the thing about where they lived, there was all kind of weather and terrain. There were even mountains, but they were in the opposite direction for a few hours. They were only about twenty minutes away from the lighthouse. It was a popular spot for people to go, and Ali had been wanting someone to take her there for some time.

Ashlyn kept looking at Ali out of the side of her vision, and Ali barely noticed. Ali knew that Ashlyn had to be thinking what she was thinking: that the entire thing was too much fun and she couldn't wait to get to the lighthouse. But what would they do when they go there? Ashlyn kept looking at Ali out of the side of her vision, and Ali barely noticed. 

Ali knew that Ashlyn had to be thinking what she was thinking: that the entire thing was too much fun and she couldn't wait to get to the lighthouse. But what would they do when they go there? It was always hard to tell what would happen when stuff like this went down. A big part of her wanted to chicken out, and another part of her wanted things to go as planned. It was hard to tell what part would win out, but Ali didn't think she'd be getting off the hook easy with Ashlyn. Not that Ashlyn would do anything weird, it's just that she would turn on the heat and then Ali would really have to withstand getting come on to by a woman she thought was sexy.

Ali knew that she wouldn't be able to hold out for long. When they got to the lighthouse and made their way round and round the staircase that circled the structure, all the way to the top. That was where Ali would find out whether or not she was going to fool around with Ashlyn beyond just a little kiss or two. Ali didn't think that anyone would be out at the lighthouse, especially on a night like tonight when there was so much happening elsewhere—it wasn't just her father who was having events, after all. There was a major league baseball game, and a horse race that had been hyped for months. There were a few movies that had come out as well. All in all, if Ali had to pick a night that she was going to go out to the lighthouse to fool around with someone, especially Ashlyn, then this would be the night.

The air whistled through the trucks grate softly, making Ali think of a childhood memory as they crested the last hill, the slope of which led down to the ocean and the lighthouse. Of course there was little time to change her mind now about going, but there was part of her that was afraid and wanted to ask Ashlyn to just go back. She wanted to tell Ashlyn that they could come back another night, any night, and then they'd come down to the lighthouse and see what there was to see. 

That wasn't going to work on the final stretch, especially because Ali was so turned on. There was something about coming to a place that signaled boats that really made Ali think about how exciting what they were about to do was. And as Ashlyn parked the truck, then helped her out of it, Ali smiled big. They made their way round and round the stairs that circled the tower. When they finally made it to the glass, greenhouse like top, Ali was excited.

“Here we are!,” Ashlyn said. “You know, I've never been here before. And I mean that, before you get all cynical and think that I must say that to everyone.”

“No, no,” Ali said. “Not at all. I don't think that. This is my first time out here as well. It sure is a hell of a romantic spot."

“It really is,” Ashlyn said. “I'm surprised that more people don't know about it.”

Ashlyn moved behind Ali and wrapped her arms around her. Ali couldn't believe how good it felt to be inside the lighthouse's giant glass chamber for a top while having Ashlyn's arms wrapped around her. Ashlyn started pecking at Ali's neck, kissing her lightly. Ali couldn't believe how gentle Ashlyn was being, and how much she loved it. Every time Ashlyn touched her body it was like something ran through them that was hard to describe. Something between lust and longing.

There was a certain intensity in every move that Ashlyn made. It was as if Ashlyn had been out in the desert and Ali was the oasis. Every touch and caress Ashlyn made was like something precious being laid on the alter of God. There wasn't a wasted movement, and everything Ashlyn did she did with Ali, not too Ali. It was as if they vibrated together, and then as if they were slipping and sliding against each other like someone had poured oil on them.

Neither of them saw the police officer come up the stairs and freeze, watching both of them with his jaw hanging open. He technically took too long getting about the business of arresting them, in fact, he might have watched for a good amount of time. Ali and Ashlyn didn't notice, not one bit. Of course the officer had had the decency not to take any photos, but, while he waited for the two women to notice that they were no longer alone, he did pull out his phone and shoot off a text to his boss letting him know that there would be some trouble looming on the horizon if this wasn't handled the right way. 

Ali finally saw the officer standing somewhat meekly at the top of the stairs, waiting for the women to come back down from the clouds to planet earth so he could speak with the.

“So,” the cop said. “I know this is a bit awkward, but you're both fairly famous. Not only that, but we don't really want to have to deal with the bad press. In fact, I'm not even going to tell your father. My boss says that if one of you is sober enough to drive then there really isn't a problem and you can both go.”

“We're both sober,” Ashlyn said. “In fact--"

“Thank you, officer,” Ali said. “I know that you certainly don't have to think about what it would do to Ashlyn's career, or my father's career, but I thank you for doing so. I know that you've got a tough job, and there are times that you probably get a lot of shit for being a 'bad guy,' yet here you are, cutting us a break.”

The cop nodded, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked at the floor. 

“It would have been some jail time,” he said. “For both of you. And I know that sounds a little but ludicrous, maybe because it is, but you know the amount of trespassing going on and all of that. I'm sure you can both appreciate what kind of predicament you'd be in if the DA was interested in some kind of entanglement.” 

Ali nodded, and both women quickly stood and pulled all of their clothes back into the proper fitting position. Without so much as saying anything else the officer was gone. Ali was so thankful that neither herself or Ashlyn had been arrested. It would have pissed her father off so much, and as much as she loved to do just that, she hated the idea of having to sit in jail and wait for her father's heart to soften enough that he would get her out. Maybe Ashlyn would have been able to get her out, who knew. In any event, they'd lucked out. 

“Do you always get away with things? It's sexy,” Ashlyn said. “I want to do it with you now that he's gone.” 

Ali laughed.

“I can tell you do,” Ali said. “But we really need to get out of here. If that officer comes back and we're doing the exact same thing as we'd been doing, I think his attitude might shift a little bit.”

Ashlyn smiled and lead the way back down the circling stairwell to her truck.

“Well I still had fun,” Ashlyn said. “I don't care if the cops showed up to poo poo what we were doing. People come out here all the time to fool around and everyone knows it. Maybe that's why they have a cop come out and check now. That's no fun, though. I mean, what's it really hurt to add a little bit of excitement to the lives of people trying to have fun?”

Ashlyn's word blended in with the rest of the background noise: the wind coming through Ashlyn's window opened just a hair, the radio barely audible, the murmur of the tires against the pavement, and the occasional jet overhead. There was a lot going on in the world around them, although it wasn't what either of them really recognized as what was going on. They were both so into each other that at that moment there was nothing else but what they were doing, no other way but there way. It didn't matter to either of them that their night had been spoiled by authority. For Ali it had beenenough to leave her father's stupid dinner with Ashlyn. She knew that was going to cause her some grief, but she also knew that it was something that she'd been wanting to do for ages.

To often her father had taken for granted that she was a real person with wants and desires. Too often he'd looked the other way while one of her needs went unmet. And now he was going to give her all kind of bitching and moaning because she was a woman with needs, and goddamn it it why was it so bad if she did the exact same thing a man would do? Just because she was a woman? It all seemed to archaic to her, but at the same time Ali knew it was part of the game that made her father somebody, and allowed him to give her money and provide for her in the material sense.

Even if he'd been a lousy father in every other regard, at least Ali had never had to want afor anything. But at the same time, hadn't that hurt her in some ways? She'd never had to struggle a day in her life, or work, either. For her everything had just coasted along at a nice pace, and she didn't have to do anything to make that happen. But that was about to change, she thought. She wasn't going to back down on the Ashlyn issue. She knew that her father was going to make all sorts of demands and try to get her to do what he wanted, but she just wasn't interested in that at this point.

“What are you thinking about? Anything neat,” Ashlyn said. “I hope it's something that's a secret so you can tell me!”

Ali laughed, and then lied, telling Ashlyn it was some dirty little secret about something she'd never done with a woman sexually. Ashlyn laughed and looked at Ali with such lust in her eyes Ali wondered if they were going to make it back. But they did make it back, safe and sound, and when Ali crawled into bed, she wished Ashlyn was there with here.

Ali drifted off to sleep, already knowing that tomorrow she'd have to answer for leaving early, and maybe even the antics afterward. She hoped that none of that would get back to her father, but at the same time it wasn't something she was very hopeful about. People liked to gossip, and to tear each other down. That was just the way of the world, it seemed like, sometimes anyway. Ali didn't know if that would be the case this time, or if the officer would actually hold to his word. She knew she'd find out in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, when Ali woke up still groggy from partying with Ashlyn the night before, her father was furious at her.

“What in the hell did you think you were doing?” he hollered. “Leaving last night with that lesbian and going to smoke pot.”

“We didn't smoke any pot, dad,” Ali said. “I know that you think everyone in college is a pothead hippie, but it's really not that way anymore, if it ever was.”

Her father scoffed.

“What the fuck do you mean you didn't smoke any pot?” Ken said.

They were sitting at the kitchen table. Ali was cradling her head in her arms in front of her. She hated it when she didn't remember what she did the night before. She barely recalled any of it, but as far as she could tell she hadn't smoked any pot. But what if she had? What did it matter? It wasn't as if what she did in her own private, off time was anyone's business but her own.

“What do you mean you didn't smoke pot?” he repeated.

He swung his hand up from behind him, and in it was the days paper. On the front page, there Ali was, smoking a big fat joint with Ashlyn.

“You'd better believe I'm calling the college football team to have a long talk with the coach,” her father said as he threw the magazine down between them.

“It's not even football season,” Ali said. “Why in the world would you call the football team? And do you really think that they're even going to care? It's college we're talking about here, not some monastery.”

“I don't care what in the fuck you think about it, little girl,” Ken sneered at her. “You think you have some kind of special privilege because you're my daughter?”

Her father was fired up.

“Do you have any idea what kind of trouble this is going to cause me? I just got done with a scandal, and here we are, just handing the press more shit to throw,” he said. “I know you don't give a flying fuck about anyone but yourself, but please, for the love of fucking God, try to think of what your actions could have the potential to turn into. I don't want to have to worry about this shit anymore? Do you got it?”

Ali rolled her eyes.

“Yeah dad, got it,” Ali said. “I'll be sure to keep all of my little shenanigans to myself from now on, and be sure to do them behind liked doors as if I'm some kind of spy playing war games.”

“You need to shut the fuck up,” Ken said. “And seriously, listen to me! This is the kind of stuff that could make it harder for me to provide for you. I know that you think you'll be a super rich girl forever, and I now you've never thought about what it would be like to have to pay for college on your own, or to have to do anything on your own. You really don't understand what I'm saying, do you? All right, let me put it this way. I love you, OK? And I know that right now you just want to make it hurt for me, but please, pretty please, try to think about what you do before you do it? All right?”

“Fine! Dad! Fine! But for the love of fucking God, dad, stop talking,” Ali said. “You just drone on and on. You aren't ever interesting. You never have anything funny or uplifting to say. It's always just you droning and droning.”

“You're one to talk,” her father said. “Aren't you? You're one--”

Ali got up and left the room. She didn't care what her father thought, so it just didn't matter what he had to say. With the way he'd just treated her mother, Ali wasn't going to sit there and listen to an old self righteous prick prattle on and on.

Ali pulled out her cell phone and called Ashlyn.

“Hey Ashlyn,” Ali said. “What are you up to right now?”

“I'm hanging out with my best friend, Kelley,” Ashlyn said. “You could meet us at the bar and have a couple of drinks. The place we're going to hang out at is way relaxed and chill, not a place where the usual college crowd goes to gets blitzed. If you want we could all play pool or something.”

“That sounds great! I'll be on the road soon,” Ali said.


	4. Chapter 4

When Ali got to the bar she was totally surprised to find that Kelley was a very cute boyish lesbian. Kelley was slim, but still had all the curves where she needed them. Her hair was long and dark, and her eyes were brown. She was the kind of girl that Ashlyn liked bringing around straight, curious girls because Kelley was just the right right kind of sugar and spice that made people interested for more.

“How has your day been so far, sweet thing? Well, I hope,” Ashlyn said. “And I hope you enjoy Kelley. She's a dream to be around. Always so funny, and in good spirits the vast majority of the time.”

Of course Ali was smitten with Kelley. Kelley was beautiful, with her long dark hair. It was nice to see someone so comfortable in their own skin. Not only that, it was amazing that she was such a peach to everyone. She was so nice, even though she was so beautiful. It made Ali think about why she found this so surprising, and it made her realize that she thought that way because so many hot straight girls made it a big deal that they were attractive.

The lesbians that Ali liked to be around were just like Kelley and Ashlyn. They were brilliant, successful, and good looking. They weren't afraid to be themselves, because who they truly were would blow you away. There wasn't any reason for them to worry about slipping up and embarrassing themselves in public because they weren't embarrassed of who they were on the inside. That was what really counts, and Ali knew it.

“Hey Kelley,” Ali said. “Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do? That sort of thing.”

“Oh, well,” Kelley said. “I'm from New York. I moved here to live by the ocean. The Gulf Coast is one of those places you move to and then you fall in love with it, not the other way around, so I'm glad that I made friends and ended up calling it home. I also like how the locals are friendly enough. What I don't like is all of the conservative thought that seems to seep to the coast from midland Texas. I didn't think that this part of Texas would be afflicted with that strain of thought, but I guess that's how life works.”

They all laughed at this while Ashlyn racked the balls on a nearby pool table.

“I like the way you think, Kelley,” Ali said. “Ashlyn, why didn't you tell me that you had such an amazing friend a long time ago?”

“Well,,” Ashlyn said. “I mean, I guess because Kelley really is a special friend to me. I mean, sometimes, we even do the nasty together.” 

Ali could feel her face turning read. “I love how you're blushing,” Ashlyn said. “It makes me think you're even cuter than I already do.” 

She walked over and kissed Ali on the lips. Ali responded by pulling Ashlyn close and quickly groping her ass before pushing her away. 

“I love the way that you feel,” Ali said. “I know that we have to stop because everyone is staring at us, but I want you to know that you make me so hot that I can barely contain myself sometimes.” 

“I know, baby girl,” Ashlyn said. “And I love how much your body quivers when you hold me.”

They kissed and groped, and Kelley said something about taking it to the restroom. There wasn't anything wrong with that, as far as Ali was concerned. She knew that she was going to have a blast with the two lesbians she was with once she got behind closed doors in the restroom with them. It was going to be glorious as they tongued each other, running their lips over each other's nipples. 

And that's exactly what happened. The reason they had chosen this particular bar to go to was because the bathrooms were a twisting maze of old, decadent steam rooms and saunas with Pine seats, and actual restroom facilities with different themes. It was part of the bar's schtick, the way that people did naughty things in the bathroom. It wasn't ever out in the open where someone could get in trouble, but that was partly because the bar had been sure to make the bathrooms very much friendly to people doing things they needed to hide. It really was a twisting maze, and people that came to the bar liked that. They wanted to be able to sneak off to the bathroom to make each other feel good, then sneak back to the bar.

The girls stumbled into steam room and stripped naked after looking the door behind them. Part of the eroticism was being watched, because the glass always fogged up enough just to obscure facial features, but not enough to completely hide what was going on. People saw through the fog and could tell that there were the forms of three women intertwined beyond. It made Ali feel so hot to know that she was being watched by other sexual deviants passing by in the hall. Kelley and Ashlyn were really getting into touching and feeling Ali, and Ali loved it. It was one of the few times in her life she was glad to be inexperienced in something. If she had had experience with women she knew that she would look very differently at what was going on at present moment. 

As things stood, this was her first threesome with two other women, and she was excited about it. She was especially excited to have it happen in spot more or less specifically designed for such things to take place. There was a lot going on in other rooms, she could tell by the moaning and slapping noises, but all she could focus on was what was happening to her. It felt so good to be getting pleasured by two different women at once, and she knew it was going to feel even better when things really got underway.

And soon they did. Things got hot and heavy as the steam in the steam room, swirling around them like a weightless fluid. It was amazing to feel Kelley and Ashlyn slip and slide all over her, Ali thought. And even more amazing when they slipped themselves into her. Ali wasn't sure what to say, but she wanted to dirty talk so bad. She also didn't know what Kelley and Ashlyn wanted to hear, and that was important when it came to dirty talk. Ali knew from experience how much her foul mouth could turn people off during sex, but she also knew how much it could get people going if it was something they enjoyed.

“Oh my God,” Ali said. “I've never experienced anything like this before in my entire life. You two have to know how much this means to me. Strong women are so . . . sexy. And sexual.”

Ali's voice trailed off as she was swept away by the feeling of fingers from four hands tickling and teasing her body all over. She couldn't believe this was something that she didn't do on a regular basis. It was like a carnival of sensation, something she hadn't known was possible. As she was swept away by her feelings, she thought about how she wanted to stay in the moment, but couldn't manage the feet of will. There was just too much overwhelming her.

In the last few moments of her really being herself, Ali knew that part of the kick she was getting out the entire thing was being rebellious. It was crazy for her to think that her father was such a stuck up prick that he'd probably have a problem with her having fun with her friends, as if it was any of his concern. He needed to shut the fuck and stay out of her life; who was he to tell her who to fun with when he couldn't keep his pants on during work? Ali just found him too ridiculous to be taken seriously.


	5. Chapter 5

“You think you've got it all figure out,” Ken said. “And that's really what drives me crazy. There isn't any thought to anyone else, or the fact that you're pretty much wrong all of the time. When was the last time you were right? When you guessed true instead of false on one of your liberal arts tests in class? Get real. You don't know a God damn thing about the real world.”

Her father was always like this, with everyone. Ali didn't know if it had to do with power, or the people power attracted. Her father had been a really nice guy, years ago, before he'd gotten into politics. But then something had changed. He'd started to spend more time looking in the mirror than he did at the face of his wife or child. Both Ali and her mother had noticed it. Something subtle in the change had kept them from addressing it, though. As if a silence had been bred in them that they never knew existed. It was hard to explain to other people without sounding like they were keeping something back, holding a piece of information in secret for some reason.

Eventually, after the last scandal, her mother had quietly slipped out of their lives. Ali had decided to stay. She thought that the biggest reason her mother had left was being embarrassed to have been outed as not enough for her husband. It made Ali never want to get married, and although she knew not all men were like her father, it was hard not to see a little bit of her father in every man. She knew that men had a great capacity for apathy and hurtfulness. She also knew how they loved to accuse women of unfaithfulness and treachery.

It wasn't always the women who were so, though. Ali had seen her father, time and again, lie for no other reason than it suited him to do so in those given moments. She knew now that he would lie about anything, even the smallest thing, without hesitation. Whenever he wanted to pass on the truth, he was incapable, because when the truth passed through him it seemed to be lost. It was as if he was some kind of human relay station that had been corrupted. And now, incapable of relaying the message, he knew he had to lead men in order to be accepted by him. That was what Ali thought, anyway. He had a need for power that was driven by a need not only to fit in, but be respected. And he couldn't imagine another way, or a better way, even though he worked shoulder and shoulder with other public servants much less prestigious than himself.

As Ali listened to her father drone on and on, she knew that all he wanted to hear was himself. It was the same reason he could work around so many well intentioned people but never have any of it rub off on him. He was an island unto himself, who didn't have a problem allowing the world around him turn to ash every time he touched it. Ali knew that she had to get away from him, but in order to do so she was going to have to put up with his incessant talking.

“Well, it's been great, dad,” Ali said. “But I'm going to go hang out with my friends now, and I don't care what you think.”

Her father raged as she walked away from him. But she knew that all he really wanted was his say. And just like any good politician, she knew that if she didn't do what he wanted it wouldn't mean consequences, but instead renegotiation. Because her father was just like every other politician who was in it for the wrong reason. He only wanted to do the right thing as long as it got him what he wanted. She knew that she could always count on him to do the right thing after he'd done everything else, but that was of little comfort. 

As she got into her car and drove away she thought about how things had been better with her mother around. Her father, although still not “good,” had been better. He'd ranted less, and been more likely to listen than to talk when it came to family stuff. But now it was as if her father just realized that his wife wouldn't be coming back, as if he'd really thought his position in life would be enough to convince her that she should stay. 

Of course, it hadn't. There just wasn't enough actual give a fuck left in her father to keep her mother interested. It was hard to explain to other people, but Ali understood completely. As she shifted gears in her car and pushed down on the accelerator suburbia whipped by just outside of her window. It was nice to see the night around her, a beautiful summer night with plenty of lightning bugs, was just as it should be. There wasn't anything about it off, or wrong. She loved the way the moon hung so high above her, heavy like an overripe plum. It was hard to imagine something that great being hung in the sky, but she knew it wasn't always like that. At some point, long ago, there had been no moon. Just the same way, at some point, long ago, her family had been happy.

But now none of that mattered, now. She tossed her keys onto the coffee table as she walked into Ashlyn's place. Kelley was curled up next to her on the couch. Their energy, highly sexual, pulsed through the room. Ali smiled.

“Ladies,” Ali said. “Once my father's campaign starts, we'll need to start meeting in secret. We were caught at the bath house by someone, and my father found out.”

Ashlyn and Kelley eyes widened. It was crazy for them to think that others would be interested enough in what they did to spy on them, and Ali felt badly about that. The transition others went through when they realized that being around her would make things different sometimes turned them off. Ali hoped that reality wouldn't try to hard to drive a wedge between them. She wasn't sure the other two women would be able to handle it, but then again, that was easy for her to say. Both Kelley and Ashlyn were out as lesbians, and Ali knew that wasn't an easy thing. There were places that shunned lesbians like the plague, and other places that fetishized them. They weren't allowed to just be themselves. They had to really dig deep to find the courage to get up every day and face a world wich, for them, was uncertain.

“It'll be all right,” Ashlyn said. “There isn't any need to worry about it until your father starts his next run. Or at least that's how I see it. What about you Kelley? I bet you have your own thoughts on the matter.”

“I agree,” Kelley said. “I know that your father can be a real asshole, Ali, so I'm completely on board with trying to minimize the fallout in your own life. I came out when I was still in high school in a really conservative town, so I completely understand why you'd not want your father in your business at every turn. And I'm sure it's hard for you on other levels, as well, with what just went on with your family and how the spotlight really multiplied the negativity for you.”

Ali was glad they understood, as she sat down on the other side of Ashlyn and snuggled up to her. It was nice to have friends and lovers like these, who didn't need to question her feelings, but instead understood them nearly instantly. It wasn't hard to see, either that there was a lot going on in both of the womens' lives who were next to her on the couch. Kelley was a scientist at the local university, and Ashlyn was looking toward the next football season. Ali was the only one who didn't have something going on for herself, but she didn't let it make her insecure.

Ali might not have chosen to be her father's daughter, but that's how things worked out, and it made everything else fall in line behind it. There just wasn't anything in her life that wasn't affected by her father, and she'd decided long ago not to allow it to make her bitter. She still wanted to enjoy life to the fullest, to have fun and to try everything. 

If she could choose to have been born to someone else, she didn't know if she would choose it. There was something about who she was that she liked, and not just because she loved herself more than anything, as many narcissists are capable of only that. It was because there was something about a life under the eye of her father that wasn't entirely terrible, even though her father could be overbearing and quite the clown sometimes.

The three women kissed each other, all at the same time, and Ali's thoughts faltered. It was so hard to be concerned with the petty trifles of her father when there were two beautiful women with her. She hoped this was how the rest of her life would be.


	6. Chapter 6

During sociology class, Ali is presented with a unique scenario from her teacher. Ali gets the impression that her teacher—a nerdy man, already balding in his thirties—is very pleased with himself concerning the anecdote turned koan. As Ali stars out the window, watching a few of the student athletes throw around a football, she listens.

The teacher outlines how a child is born, how the child starts off as a blank slate, more or less. The teacher concedes that while there maybe be some genetic markers that predispose the child to certain ailments and protect it from others, more or less the child is able to be whatever it wants to be. That is, of course, if the child is affluent. But the teacher presses forward from these caveats quickly, moving into the meat of the example. He talks about how the child makes it to puberty, after a lifetime of being raised as a boy, and realizes that instead of being a girl, the child turned teen now identifies as a boy.

The class gasps, but not Ali. She knew that this example would be headed into such waters. Around campus the rumors of what Ali, Ashlyn, and Kelley did together were circulating, to the point that her guidance counselor had called her and asked if she wanted to stay home for a few days. But Ali didn't see the point of hiding from it, and some of her teachers had upped the ante as far as content matter for class in an effort to compete with the rumor mill. All in all, if Ali had been a weaker person she would have buckled under the pressure. But Ali wasn't weak, she was strong. And she didn't really care what anyone had to whisper behind her back. If they were going to whisper, Ali figured, why not let them whisper? 

There was nearly no way for her to stop it anyhow. And now her Sociology teachers was getting his two cents in when it came to weird stuff to say in class. It was hard to understand how so many people could just be OK with adding her drama into their class, or trying to compete with it, which, in its own way, was not only acknowledging but accepting what was going on.

The teacher at the front of the class went on, and eventually what he proffered to the class was the idea that there was no way for a child raised in a hetero-normative environment to really know who they were until their “reawakening” during puberty.

Ali didn't know if she agreed or disagreed. The rest of the class seemed nearly demolished inside. They couldn't comprehend that the parents of a child would have a strong influence on the child, or at least that's what they were willing to show via their reaction. Ali wasn't surprised by this at all, in fact, it was what she'd been expecting the whole time. It was hard to understand how people such as her peers wouldn't get that if you raise someone, in an environment not friendly to it, that the person might have to adapt and hide who it really is in order to survive. 

Survival wasn't something that her classmates thought about much. And, Ali had to admit, she didn't think about it much, either. It was hard to know exactly how much of her own struggle was real instead of just the usual drama that embroiled her life. Lately, though, it had become clear that if she was anything but straight that there would be some kind of backlash, not only from her father, but from the public as well.

Her father knew this, he'd made that abundantly clear. She also knew that many of her peers and teachers knew this as well, and that was way some people that had always been cold to her had warmed up, recently. For instance, the Principal of the school had always kept her at a distance, probably trying to stave off any criticism that he was sucking up to her father through being nice to her, but today he had stopped her in the hall and asked her if everything was all right.

This had been something that had completely caught Ali by surprise. There was no way that she could have known that the man who ran the institution of learning she went to was going to show her some special favor in the hallway. Now, even though he'd try to be discrete, there were rumors flying that the administration was ready to expel anyone who played along with harassing her. 

Ali had to admit that she liked the idea that people wouldn't be allowed to fuck with her. She thought it was sad how people were always ready to tear someone else down, but that just seemed to be life. Lost in her own thoughts, Ali was the last person in the room when her teacher spoke to her.

"Are you alright, Ali?" He asked. 

“I know you have a lot on your plate being who you are. Would you like to talk about anything?”

Ali was horrified. She didn't want to be the kind of person who was a teacher's pet. If she'd had any idea that her daydreams would lead her to be singled out after class she would have guzzled two pots of coffee before hand. It was the last thing she wanted, to appear weak, to look as if she needed help. 

But maybe it was all right to appear so, especially because she did need help. Maybe she should tell her teacher the truth. Ali decided that she would.

“I really need help in this class,” Ali said. “You know how much a C or a B can hurt someone's GPA. I'd hate to have my GPA take a hit when I'm going through so much outside of the classroom. I know you know how I feel. All of the teachers have been so understanding.”

“Yes,” her teacher said. “Yes. You do need a little boost in the class to get an A. I'll tell you what. I'll make sure that you get a small boost for coming every day. I know that it takes a lot to come every day, and I know that you're busy. You aren't like most of the other students, Ali, you have so much potential while already fulfilling a great deal of it. It's like you know where you’re going, even though your father seems a little irrational sometimes. I really admire that in a person. I'll tell you what. You just do a little right-up, and I'll make sure to weight it so that it really matters, all right?”

Ali nodded and left the classroom feeling happy. She was glad that she'd fallen into a day dream, now. She knew that she would be able to tell Kelley and Ashlyn about the incident, and maybe even relive the feelings with them egging her on. It was always nice to share experiences with her girlfriends. It made her feel more alive, more like she was really living, and not just coasting through it as if there was never any variation to what was going on. It amazed her that she was so ready and willing to share with her new friends, even though maybe it shouldn't have, considering they shared quite readily between each other already.

They were all three in the study hall, lounging on the sofas in the back. This study hall used to be the veterans lounge, but then all of the veterans stopped coming around for some reason. No one really knew why, they just sort of disappeared. Ali thought about bringing it up to her lovers, how it was almost fitting that they be in this study hall because of how the special interest group, one whose members had all earned their place, which had once been here had gone the way of the buffalo was now being replace by a new minority of peoples. But were they really a minority?

“Nom Chomsky says that everyone is bisexual,” Ali said. “Do you two believe that, or think like him? I'm not sure. I've met some really straight white dudes before who would never even think of touching the genitals of the same sex.”

“I think the same,” Ashlyn said. “I know that might sound silly, but I really do think that everyone has the capacity to love the same sex and whatever other sex they choose. I guess maybe I disagree, in that I think that people can choose.”

“Yeah, it sounds more like you disagree while agreeing,” Kelley said. “And I'm the same way, I think that people can make the choice whether or not they listen to their own feelings and desires. Some people just turn everything off and go from there, and maybe that's one way to do things.”

“So you don't think there are any truly bisexual people, or straight people, at all? That's interesting,” Ali said. “It makes me wonder about my own sexuality a great deal. Do you two ever think about that?”

“Not really,” Ashlyn said. “I mean, I guess I did when reporters were asking me about it when I joined the team, but not since then.”

Ali wondered why she thought so much about her own sexuality, while the same sex women she was exploring with weren't. They seemed to be just enjoying what was happening, going with the flow and letting things sort themselves out. That was a hard thing to imitate, maybe impossible. Ali would have liked to think that she could just turn off her self reflection, but she wondered if it was really that easy. She thought that it probably wasn't, and the reason that Kelley and Ashlyn were so good at it was that they weren't new at it. Both of those women had been out for some time. Kelley was a known lesbian, someone who was often harassed by straight guys who thought she was good looking and were instantly angered by the fact that she wasn't interested in them at all.

Ashlyn had famously, or infamously, just run the gauntlet of public opinion. It was crazy to see her blossoming now into who she really was, one of the most athletic people on campus, and one of the most sexual. Her sexual side was one she had to hide from everyone because she was already fetishized for being who she was. People from all over would write her letters telling her how they were in love with her and wanted to marry her. Virgins, both male and female, would send her cards of their naked bodies and ask her to take their virginity. It was crazy to think that all of these people were so willing to throw themselves at her. It made Ali turn her reflection outward, to be around women such as these.

Ali moved over to sit on the couch beside Ashlyn. Ashlyn gave her a knowing look, one that said, “I know that you're about to make a move on me, but I think we should wait for class to be over so everyone leaves.” 

And that's exactly what happened. The bell rang, and everyone left except for Ali, Ashlyn, and Kelley. They had the entire place to themselves, and it was something that wasn't lost on them. The weight of the silence their peers left in their wake pressed in on them, making them push their bodies together against one another. It was amazing to feel the warmth, the heat, the vibration of their bodies against hers. Ali didn't ever want it to end, that was something she knew for certain. She wanted it to go on forever and ever. Ali slowly moved her hands over Ashlyn's body, caressing and touching every curve and crevice. It was amazing how turned on she was, and how she could feel Ashlyn's body and mood respond to her. It was something liked to experience, something that made her thankful and grateful to be the person she was. Getting lost in moments like these were all that Ali wanted, and it was amazing to think that, as far as she knew, they weren't going to stop. As Ali's hands moved from Ashlyn to Kelley, someone moved to the edge of the door from the hall and stopped. They stood still, peering into the room where the three women were fooling around. It was the study hall teacher, come back to grab a fountain pen he'd left on the desk - the pen was worth three weeks wages and had been given to him by his mother. He needed money, and badly, rent looming up on the next week. He had to figure out how to raise some funds, and here he'd found some. He pulled out his smart phone and snapped some photos quickly. He wasn't a skilled photographer by any means, but he just needed one or two of the photos to come out decently well. They didn't have to be the best photos ever, by any means. He wasn't looking to win a Pulitzer prize or anything of that nature. The photos only had to be good enough to run in the tabloid magazines that lined every groceries aisle. His phone's camera happened to be one of the better ones, so he was able to zoom in with crystal clear focus and get the shots of what was going on as if he were up closenext to the action. That was really the allure of the photos, he realized as he snapped picture after picture. It wasn't so much who was in the photos, or what was in the photo, it was that the photos gave the viewer what felt like control over the subject because they were so intimate. It was one thing if those being photographed knew what was going on, it was another thing if they didn't. The teacher knew that there would be many hungry eyes that would want to see every single inch of the young women pawing at each other. They were beautiful, and they knew what they were doing. The way they were so brazen and confident would also play into the public feeding frenzy that was about to go on. He didn't know if there would be any way for him to get into trouble or not, but because the study hall was as public as it got, he didn't think there would be anything those with hurt feelings could do but promise not to behave so badly again. That was another thing that kept him from feeling to guilty of snapping the shot that showed up the skirt of one of the females - the women all had terrible attitudes. Or at least at times. Sure, like most hormonal college kids, they had good days and bad days. But even on their good days the girls would come in and look at their nails, or stare off out the window. They were never locked into their books, or engaged with anything to do with school. And that was too bad, as far as the teacher was concered, because they were cheating themselves. But now that wasn't his problem anymore. Now he didn't have to worry about correcting them for the hundredth time about how there was a strict no gum chewing policy in class, and if they broke it just one more time he really would make them pull all of the gum off of the bottom of the desks. The teacher snapped a few more, and then, like the cop had, he just stood there and watched. The women looked so good touching and groping each other that even though thru all had their clothes on, it was the hottest thing that he thought he'd ever seen. It was crazy to see three young women all in tune with each other, moving with each other as if there wasn't anything seperating them but their clothes. There didn't seem to be any shame, at least, or any reservations about what they doing that might be bashfulness. Maybe they wanted to get caught. After getting what he needed, the teacher scurried off in the other direction. When he got a hold of one of the more popular tabloids they offered him a some that made his knees quiver. He wasn't going to work at that awful school anymore. He wasn't going to have to keep trying to scrape by on teachers wage that barely paid the rent and left him eating Ramen Noodles night after night. Things were going to change in his life.


	7. Chapter 7

“Do you have any idea what this is going to do to me?”

Ali rolled her eyes. It was her father again. This time he was raging about the pictures of them in the study hall. She, Kelley, and Ashlyn had been caught fooling around by someone on camera. It didn't matter to Ali anymore if what she did effected her father negatively. There didn't seem to be many ways around offending people. Everyone with an opinion wanted to chime in on everything they did, especially after the last scandal. People were going to have a hay day with this one, Ali knew it, and so did Ken. It wasn't easy to think about all the trouble she was causing, so she didn't. Lord knew her father didn't think about it, so why should she?

"Are you even listening to me?" Ken went on. "You never are."

"You know what," Ali said. "Maybe it's time you listen to me. I know you think you're somehow blameless in everything that just happened, but you aren't, and those are just the facts. So you don't get to sit there and level blame at me as if your blameless. You don't get to harp on everything I do that gets snapped up by the press. I don't want their attention, do you understand? And I'm sorry I'm your daughter, I really am. I wish I had another father who didn't break the marriage apart by getting caught fooling around with someone half their age. You know what I mean? Do you understand? Are you listening?"

Her father stood stunned. He never heard Ali talk this way, and she'd most assuredly never talked to him this way.

"You have to understand, father, that I'm human too," Ali said. "And I'm done acting like I'm just an extension of you. I want to be my own person my own way. I know you'll understand someday."

Ken yelled after her as she stormed out of the room. It wasn't long until he was leaving sobbing voice mails. He was a sad, scared, lonely person inside, Ali knew this as well as anyone that knew her father. He was one of the least likable people she'd ever met, and she didn't think that was going to change anytime soon. She didn't expect him to change for her. She knew she wasn't going to change for him. The way she was was the way she was going to stay. There was no way she was going to change for a politician because public opinion didn't like what she was doing. The mere suggestion of that made her stomach turn.

She picked up her phone and called Ashlyn. 

"Ashlyn," Ali said. "Sorry to call you so late. I know you have practice tomorrow. But my father and I just a major blowout and I need someone to talk to about it. There just isn't anyone else in my life like you, and I know you'll know exactly what I'm going through because you just through it yourself."

"I'm glad you called me," Ashlyn said. "It's important that you talk to people when this sort of thing happens. It isn't fair that your father excepts you to keep everything bottled up all of the time. There is no way to really do that, so I'm not sure why he would start things out between you two with an unrealistic expectation. It just isn't fair, because there is no way for you to stop considering your situation, and there is no way for him to stop his own feelings. I don't know if this is making any sense. We've been talking a lot about the spirituality behind yoga at my gym, and maybe I'm starting to absorb some of it."

"It sounds like it," Ali said. "And I appreciate that. Because I really need to keep my head on straight, and it's hard to do, you know? My father has so much power, and I know he can rain shit down on my life if he wants to. He's already left me a few voice mails that were pretty desperate. He wants me back in his life, because I just stormed out of it."

"You know what, maybe he needs to think about it for a second." Ashlyn said. "And maybe you do as well. I'm free if you want to hang out. Kelley is coming over in a minute. They are having a downer of a day as well. Maybe we could play some board games and cheer each other up!"

Ali laughed and agreed. She loved her friends. It was so nice to be able to get a call from someone that made her smile and turned her day around. That was always a good feeling. And now she had plans! And ones she really couldn't wait for. This was the kind of feeling that her father would never understand, or think was proper. He just wanted her to feel badly all the time, or so it seemed. She wasn't sure anymore what he wanted her to feel, but she figured the best thing to do was try to forget all about the serious stuff. It just didn't seem like it mattered that much when she was with the other two.

Ali smiled to herself as she thought about getting to hangout with her two favorites. She hoped they had a fun time, even if they ended up skipping the boardgames.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter

The three women spent the rest of the early morning playing board games like Scrabble and Monopoly. It was so good for Ali she couldn't deny that her father had been impacting her mental health negatively, and that, of course, just wasn't fair to her. Who wanted someone who was domineering and unfair to everyone in their lives? It just wasn't a good thing, and it was toxic to her like a poison. 

"I'm glad that you decided to come hang out me and Kelley," Ashlyn said. "I know it would have been easier to seclude yourself from everything. That's what I usually do when things like you just went through happen to me. Has your father left you any more messages?"

"I don't think so," Ali said. "And I'm the one who should be thanking you! You're going to be so tired at practice today, and during school. I know you have a bunch of classes today, so it means a lot to me that you made the time to take care of me like you did. It's important for me to have friends, and to know people who are like me and similar experiences. Maybe not knowing women like you two for so long has allowed me to succumb to the tug of the easy way out, of not confronting my father with my feelings and make him give me an account as to why he acts the way he does."

They all agreed that Ali should talk to her father more, and that no matter what happened, Kelley and Ashlyn would be there for her. Ali appreciated this more than anything. It was good to have support. That was something she'd been sorely missing in her life. She didn't like to think about how there been many times when she'd simply given in to the desire to be liked, or to have things go her way without having to put up a fight or pout. 

Now she was going to confront her father, and that was something she wasn't looking forward to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dad, I think I'm ready to talk," Ali said. "I know that you're probably busy right now, so when you get a chance to look at you're phone just text me or something."

Ali didn't like to put her father on the spot when it came to talking to her, even when it was something like clearing up their latest fight. She liked to give him, and everyone else, a chance to be their own person and do their own thing. Letting people be themselves is important to Ali.

Her father called her right back, and Ali answered.

“I'd like to talk,” her father said. “You know that you mean the world to me. And if you want to be in a non hetero-normative relationship with two other women, well then you know what? It looks like I'll have a whole new demographic to court for votes.”

Ali laughed in spite of herself.

"You know what dad," Ali said. "That's the best thing I've heard you say in a really long time. I appreciate you taking the time to call me back. I'll talk to you in a little bit when we're both home."

Ali went through the rest of your day at school, going from class to class. It was always hard for her to stay on task in class. And today, with so much going on in her life, with so much on her mind, it was especially hard to stay on task. She had a lot to think about, and so little time to process. Maybe processing wasn't exactly what was necessary. Maybe she just needed to act, to just do, and to feel what there was to be felt on the other side of consequence.

When Ali and her father next spoke, it was late.

"You know I love you, right?" Ken said. " I want you to know that I love you. And that I have your back no matter what. I know recently I fucked up, but your mother and I haven't been in love in quite some time. There was nothing that was keeping me in that relationship. I should have just told her to go, but she wouldn't. But instead of doing the hard thing, the right thing, I copped out. I know that must sound even shittier than I feel about it, but I don't want you to think less of me because of it."

"I love you too, dad." Ali said. " I just needed to hear what you just said. You know that it can get hard when you get lonely. I know you know about that. So, yeah, I guess I should say I'm sorry. Or maybe I shouldn't, but I'm going to anyway. Hopefully you can understand what I've been going through."

"I think I sort of can," Ken said. "It's just hard for me to know that I've hurt you, you know? I never meant to do that. I always thought that if I gave you all the money that you ask for that it would somehow automatically make you happy. I guess I fell prey to something a lot of people fall prey to, thinking that somehow material wealth would replace what really should have been there. I just hope it isn't too late for me to turn things around when it comes to our relationship."

Ali listened and nodded. She and she father ended up having a cup of decaf coffee together and watching the late night show with a man Ali wasn't sure the name of. Her father and his generation seemed to like the late show comics much more than her generation. She always thought of the late night comics as something people watched when they were working late at night, something that kept them abreast of everything that was happening during the day when they were sleeping or getting ready for work.

When it was all said and done a few days later, Ali and her father had signed up to go to family therapy, something her father had been very leery of in the past. It was always great to know that he was willing go the extra mile, although now the extra mile would be the new normal.

Family therapy went well, much to both of their surprise, and they kept going. Ali worked out some of her daddy issues, and realized, ultimately, her behavior was her own. There was no way for her to blame it on anyone else. She had to accept the things that were in her control where hers to have and own. Her father, of course, had similar epiphanies. It was like a father shouldn't have done any of the things he'd done to cause so much despair and his family. 

It was all water under the bridge now, as their therapist liked to say. They needed to press forward and not dwell on the past. They needed to be upstanding adults to each other and the rest of the community, and they needed to show each other that they loved one another. That was the only way that their lives would be whole again. Once they accepted one another for who they are, only then they would start to feel like they were something part of a family.


End file.
